Pennsylvania Fundraising Licensing
Below, you'll find licensing requirements for a range of fundraising activities. At a glance, you can see requirements, fees, filing instructions, and links to forms for everything from charitable gaming and cause marketing to professional fundraisers and charitable gift annuities.
Make sure your fundraising activities meet the unique requirements of each jurisdiction where you’re soliciting. Feel free to explore, bookmark, and share!
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- Pennsylvania Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses
- Pennsylvania Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses
Company Licenses
Pennsylvania Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses
Pennsylvania Charitable Gaming Licenses
Not required
Bingo licenses and small games of chance licenses are issued at the county level in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Charitable Gift Annuity Registration
Not required
No filing is required, but charities need to meet certain conditions before issuing charitable gift annuities. Pennsylvania certain charities from insurance regulation related to charitable gift annuities if they meet the description offered in section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, have been in continuous existence for at least 3 years, and have unrestricted assets of at least $100,000 plus half of the principal value of issued annuities. The charity must also be an educational institution, hospital, senior citizen center, religious institution, or charitable organization registered with the department of state.
Pennsylvania Charitable Organization Registration
| Agency: | Pennsylvania Department of State - Bureau of Charitable Organizations |
| Law: | 10 Pennsylvania Statutes, Chapter 4B, § 162.1 - 162.7 |
Automatic Exemption
| Exemption Eligible Organizations: |
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| Notes: | If your organization is based in Pennsylvania, it may still be required to file an Institutions of Purely Public Charity Statement. |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Instructions: | |
| Filing method: | |
| Agency fee: | $15-250, depending on gross contributions |
| Notes: |
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Registration Renewal
| Form: | |
| Filing method: | |
| Agency fee: | $15-250, depending on gross contributions |
| Due: | Due annually 10.5 months after the end of the fiscal year every year. |
| Penalties: | An organization failing to file a registration by the due date must pay an additional fee of $25 for each calendar month or part of a month after the date on which the registration was due to be filed. |
| Notes: |
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Change of Fiscal Year
| Form: | |
| Agency fee: | Varies |
| Notes: | Fiscal year can be changed during the standard renewal process. |
Pennsylvania Commercial Co-Venturer Registration
Not required
Pennsylvania does not currently have a traditional registration requirement for commercial co-venturers, but they may need to follow other regulations before and after fundraising events.
Registration Not Required
Not required
Pennsylvania Institution of Purely Public Charity Registration
Registration to Obtain Exemption
| Exemption Eligible Organizations: |
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| Form: | |
| Filing method: | |
| Agency fee: | $0 |
Renewal to Maintain Exemption
| Exemption Eligible Organizations: |
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| Form: | Purely Public Charity Registration Statement (Exemption Renewal) |
| Filing method: | |
| Agency fee: | $0 |
| Due: | Annually within 135 days of the organization's fiscal year end. The due date is May 15th for organizations with a fiscal year end date of December 31. |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Filing method: | |
| Agency fee: | $15 |
Registration Renewal
| Form: | |
| Filing method: | |
| Agency fee: | $15 |
| Due: | Annually within 135 days of the organization's fiscal year end. The due date is May 15th for organizations with a fiscal year end date of December 31. |
Pennsylvania Professional Fundraising Counsel Registration
| Agency: | Pennsylvania Department of State - Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations |
Initial Registration
| Form: | Form BCO-150: Registration Statement for Professional Fundraising Counsel |
| Agency fee: | $250 |
Registration Renewal
| Form: | Form BCO-150: Registration Statement for Professional Fundraising Counsel (Renewal) |
| Agency fee: | $250 |
| Due: | Annually |
Contract Filing
| Due: | File a copy of the written contract between the charity and fundraising counsel at least 10 days prior to the start of each solicitation campaign. |
Pennsylvania Professional Solicitor Registration
Initial Registration
| Form: | Form BCO-155: Registration Statement for Professional Solicitor |
| Agency fee: | $250 |
| Original Ink: | Not required |
| Notarize: | Not required |
Registration Renewal
| Form: | Form BCO-155: Registration Statement for Professional Solicitor (Renewal) |
| Agency fee: | $250 |
| Due: | Annually |
| Original Ink: | Not required |
| Notarize: | Not required |
Contract Filing
| Form: | |
| Agency fee: | $25 |
| Due: | File a solicitation notice at least 10 days prior to the start of each solicitation campaign. |
Financial Reporting
| Form: | |
| Agency fee: | $0 |
| Due: | Within 90 days after a campaign has ended and on the anniversary of commencement for campaigns lasting more than a year. |
Individual Licenses
Pennsylvania Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses
Pennsylvania Individual Professional Fundraiser Registration
Not required
Solicitors who are not employed by a professional fundraising firm but operate independently may be required to register. Employees of professional fundraising firms are generally not required to register as an individual solicitor in Pennsylvania.
Registration Not Required
Not required
Learn about fundraising in other states:
Harbor Compliance® proudly partners with the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations to provide insightful resources and compliance solutions to nonprofits in Pennsylvania.
Fundraising Compliance
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